Arachnis longisepala

Arachnis longisepala is a fascinating orchid. When this beauty made a stunning appearance at an orchid show, it was love at first sight.

Arachnis longisepala

Like scenes of hatching spiders falling out of the sky, dozens of flowers dangled from a thin, web-like inflorescence and seemed to bounce ever so gently when the wind caught them. From the shape of the flowers, it’s no surprise that members of the genus Arachnis are commonly known as scorpion or spider orchids.

Arachnis longisepala

The scorpion orchid (or spider orchid?)

But there’s something very unusual about Arachnis longisepala. Maybe it’s the fine and delicate arachnid-like flowers, or its rarity in cultivation. Whatever it is, it’s well deserving of the best species award in the KL Orchid & Bonsai Show 2015.